Put the high school kids to good use!

[Toplessartist]

OK. Here is my idea. Many High Schools have a wood shop and an auto shop of some sort, and these kids are taught basic skills in respect to the class and the teachers' skills/interests. When I was in HS (long time ago) we built a 6 x 8 three sided house in the shop, it included framing, wiring, plumbing, roofing, etc. In the auto shop we were taught basic tools and simple fix methods, and there were opportunities to weld and fabricate w metals. Sadly, at the end of the year the "house was destroyed to re use some of the supplies. Seems a waste.

You're way ahead of me, some of you... what if the kids were to turn donated or used box trailers into tiny homes for Vets or others? Turn some yard trailers into temp housing for those who need a dry place to get a step up. What if their new skills were formed while creating an end product that will actually change someones life even in the smallest way (a safe warm shelter seems pretty life changing for many). I too often see this older couple living in their van (not by choice) and my heart asks my brain if I want to donate my trailer to them... and it's a struggle to not just hand them the title, hook up my rig to their vehicle, and change their life. This could be great lesson in compassion for these kids in the shops.

Here is what I'm asking. Please take your teardrops, your home build campers, your box builds and various to your local High School and show the shop teachers and administrators what you have done. Explain the simplicity and the freedom of expression you had while creating it, and convince them to consider letting the shop students build and donate some great little safe spaces to the public. The students will get the invaluable experience of building something cool, PLUS the knowledge that they are helping someone less fortunate. It will also give them the belief and confidence to build their own version someday. Schools have some money set aside for the supplies for these classes, and there are people who will donate the trailers and the boxes and materials and such because of the cause, as well as to get rid of them with a write off. The school gets to present this to someone and that's a wonderful experience for everyone there plus great PR for the school. It could even be a build-off competition between schools and that makes it even more fun. I will be taking mine to several of the schools for this purpose in the next month, and I will let you know what the feedback is.

Anyways, I thought this might appeal to some of you. Happy New Year. Be safe.

Thanks, Topless.

[halfdome, Danny]

A huge liability issue for something that's mobile.
Danny

[Toplessartist]

Then they sell it to them for a dollar, and all issues with liability are moot. (maybe)

[tony.latham]

There was a high school wood shop that used my book to build a teardrop. I can't recall where it was.



Tony

[Toplessartist]

Aaaah HAH! So it is a doable thing... awesome. I am going to pursue this in the Spring.

[GPW]

Great idea !!! Anybody thought of teaching a shop class ... Teaching kids to make something useful besides a bookcase or table ...

[S. Heisley]

Sometimes, you have to whittle ideas down to just the basics. Many homeless don't have cars and/or car insurance but many do have bikes. They often are evicted and have to move from place to place. Maybe a foamie (or even a fold-down foammie) would make more sense and would be less expensive. Also, most homeless are unable to pay utilities or don't have a place to plug into electrical. However, portable solar lighting might be a good thing for them. Put in a couple plastic/Lexan windows and/or maybe a peep hole or two to allow them to look out without being noticed. That way, a person would have portable housing that would give them a warm, dry and lighted place to sleep and a way to cart their belongings. It would also be less work for the homeless cleanup crew to dismantle and take to the dump when a homeless person leaves a trashed one behind (and they will).

Most schools are on a very limited budget. For less money, building foamies would help students learn a bit of architecture and framing skills as well as teaching them the basics of camper/house structures and might even instill the idea of building their own camping structure.

Perhaps you could write a pamphlet and/or U-tube video of how this would be accomplished. Then, you could advertise this to the schools.